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ITV has confirmed an exciting new period drama, titled Majesty, which will delve into the early years of Elizabeth I and her time in King Henry VIII’s court.
The show is set to be “a bold, intriguing reimagining of her life based upon conspiracy theories which surrounded her as a youth”, rather than a faithful recount of the iconic monarch’s life.
The synopsis teases: “Was the Virgin Queen hiding a profound secret? And how did this overlooked, embattled princess become the most powerful ruler England has ever known?”
The six-part series is created by former Grey’s Anatomy showrunners Joan Rater, Tony Phelan and William Harper.
Multi-BAFTA award-winning Director James Strong, celebrated for his recent work on Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV’s most successful drama in over a decade, will direct the series, reports the Express.
(Image: (Image: ITV))
Majesty is set to air on ITV1 and STV and will be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player. Polly Hill is on board to oversee production for the broadcaster. With production slated to begin in 2025, casting details are expected to be released later.
“Majesty is an emotional, funny, and contemporary-feeling alternate history about how three outsiders try to stay alive while hiding a secret that, if discovered, would rock England to its foundations,” shared creators Harper, Rater and Phelan.
They commented: “Majesty allows us to have fun with history while illuminating who we are now. This show is pure wish-fulfilment of how people devoted to the public good suddenly find themselves in a position to make a difference.”
(Image: (Image: Mary Matthews Photography))
Director Strong expressed his excitement, stating: “I could not be more thrilled to be bringing this audacious and original show to the screen.”
He added that the project is ideal for directors, saying: “The brilliant scripts are a directors’ dream as we get to reimagine and recreate an iconic piece of English history and tell a period story that looks stunning but also feels modern and relevant to today’s viewer.”
ITV Director of Drama, Polly Hill, also expressed delight, adding: “I’m delighted to be announcing Majesty and to be working with James and his team on such an intriguing and thought-provoking story.”
She elaborated: “Majesty is a perfect illustration of the range of drama that we want to see on ITV as we continue to strive to make the best and most ambitious mainstream drama for our UK audiences.”
Majesty will air on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player.
